Rockford: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Rockford is a city of 148,278 people in United States (Illinois), 224 m (735 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD), 8 km (5 mi) from the centre. It has 2 railway stations on record, including Rockford.
Key facts
Daylight in Rockford runs from about 9 h 8 min a day in late December to 15 h 20 min in late June (computed for 42.27° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Rockford is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD), 8 km (5 mi) from the centre, whose 10,002-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Dane County Regional Truax Field (MSN, 99 km).
Flights to Rockford: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Rockford, Rockford. Trains to Rockford
Buses to Rockford · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Chicago, 128 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Indianapolis, 372 km — flights
- Milwaukee, 129 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Madison, 93 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Fort Wayne, 353 km
- Des Moines, 381 km — trains
- Aurora, 86 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Grand Rapids, 291 km — tours
- Joliet, 118 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Naperville, 95 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Ferentino, Borgholm Municipality, Cluj-Napoca.
Common questions
Which airport serves Rockford?
Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD), 8 km (5 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Rockford?
About 148,278 people live in Rockford, across 167 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Rockford in?
America/Chicago, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Rockford?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Rockford?
Chicago (128 km), Indianapolis (372 km), Milwaukee (129 km), Madison (93 km), Fort Wayne (353 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.